07-08-2006
Amur Trassa 07-08-2006
I feel like crap in the morning. The photo says it all. After looking at this photo, I have to laugh with myself and I feel better already. Time to go and find a café for a couple of coffees. The roads are getting better still, the gravel is decent. More detours. More towns.
By the end of the day I reach the road again. Dusk has set in and it is raining a bit. This area is flat and has few trees. You can see far. Thick clouds are ahead of me and lightning illuminates them. I like this since it is far from me. Nevertheless, I am heading for this area of bad weather. The storm gets closer and I stop for a while at a café to wait. Once the core has moved away, I take my chances and race my machine down the road. The gravel has turned to mud. It is dark now. Doing this on a solo bike would be a challenge. I can make about 70km/h, but my combination swirls and shakes a bit because of the muddy road. No problem, this is my Ural’s habitat. I just keep going and try to outrun the thunderstorm that approaches to my right. Hotels are spread thin around these parts, but you can bet your life that I’m not putting up my tent tonight. Just as the thunderstorm starts getting a bit too close, there is a bridge over the road. Incredible, the only bridge over this road since Chita. It is a welcome sight and I park underneath to sit out the storm. It is not that bad and passes rather quickly, so off I go again into the darkness. I manage to outrun all the other thunderstorms and late in the night (or early in the morning) I finally find a nice gastinitsa. Service is excellent. The only thing is brown tap water. I have my first shower since Chita. The brown tap water disguises the dirt that is coming off me. They have a washing machine and I have my clothes washed. The brown water is no objection, it will not clean my whites but at least they will smell better.
The hotel is cheap, but new and very clean. I fall asleep as soon as I hit the bed.
I feel like crap in the morning. The photo says it all. After looking at this photo, I have to laugh with myself and I feel better already. Time to go and find a café for a couple of coffees. The roads are getting better still, the gravel is decent. More detours. More towns.
By the end of the day I reach the road again. Dusk has set in and it is raining a bit. This area is flat and has few trees. You can see far. Thick clouds are ahead of me and lightning illuminates them. I like this since it is far from me. Nevertheless, I am heading for this area of bad weather. The storm gets closer and I stop for a while at a café to wait. Once the core has moved away, I take my chances and race my machine down the road. The gravel has turned to mud. It is dark now. Doing this on a solo bike would be a challenge. I can make about 70km/h, but my combination swirls and shakes a bit because of the muddy road. No problem, this is my Ural’s habitat. I just keep going and try to outrun the thunderstorm that approaches to my right. Hotels are spread thin around these parts, but you can bet your life that I’m not putting up my tent tonight. Just as the thunderstorm starts getting a bit too close, there is a bridge over the road. Incredible, the only bridge over this road since Chita. It is a welcome sight and I park underneath to sit out the storm. It is not that bad and passes rather quickly, so off I go again into the darkness. I manage to outrun all the other thunderstorms and late in the night (or early in the morning) I finally find a nice gastinitsa. Service is excellent. The only thing is brown tap water. I have my first shower since Chita. The brown tap water disguises the dirt that is coming off me. They have a washing machine and I have my clothes washed. The brown water is no objection, it will not clean my whites but at least they will smell better.
The hotel is cheap, but new and very clean. I fall asleep as soon as I hit the bed.
posted by Anonymous | 9:31 am
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